


Chapter One: Charmander

by redd093



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 05:55:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1458388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redd093/pseuds/redd093
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, I'm going to an anime convention with six friends of mine as a Trainer and his pokemon team. So rather than just sit back and wait for all the fun to start, I've decided to turn this idea into a story. This story is about my character (the trainer) and his adventures with his pokemon friends.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Chapter One: Charmander

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm going to an anime convention with six friends of mine as a Trainer and his pokemon team. So rather than just sit back and wait for all the fun to start, I've decided to turn this idea into a story. This story is about my character (the trainer) and his adventures with his pokemon friends.

"I thought I made myself clear last time, brat; I don't take kindly to thieves!" A large man was carrying a boy out of his restaurant. The boy, who seemed no older than twelve, was kicking and squirming as he tried to break free of his captor. At the door, the man tossed the boy into the mud. The boy quickly stood up and faced the man.

"But I wasn't stealing this time!" Reaching into his pocket, the boy grabbed a handful of coins, and showed them to the man. "I was going to but some food with the money I earned!"

When the man saw the money, he quickly snatched it from the boy's hand. "More like the money you stole! Now come around here again, and I'll report you to the police!" And with that, the man slammed his door, leaving the boy out in the rain. Now, the boy was cold, wet, hungry and moneyless. And above all else, it was autumn, which meant that his business was was going to slow down quite a bit.

His name was Kaiden, and he really was only twelve. This wasn't the first time that he had been kicked out of "Luke's Restaurant", and he was almost certain it wasn't going to be the last. Because when you're a twelve year old kid living on your own, you have to resort to thievery sooner or later. As big and famous as Viridian City had become, there weren't many people wanting to hire a child. But he did manage to get some money. For as long as Kaiden could remember, three kinds of people were in Viridian City: People who lived and worked there, Trainers who had just gotten their first Pokémon in Pallet Town to the south, and more Trainers who were heading towards Indigo Plateau to the west, to test out their skills against the Elite Four; and whether or not Kaiden had any money, always depended on the latter two kinds of people. Because, in his years of living in a city that's swarming with Trainers and Pokémon, Kaiden had learned that he was somewhat of a good luck charm. There wasn't a single instance that made him realize this; it was just an accumulation of undeniable evidence. Kaiden would follow a Trainer who was in a rut, and the Trainer would start winning and get a lot better. A Breeder would hang out with him, and suddenly, their two stubborn Delcatty would produce a beautiful egg. A Coordinator would be trying desperately to teach their Squirtle how to use a new move a certain way, spend an hour talking to Kaiden, then find that Squirtle has gotten the move down pat. Things like that. He just wished that his good luck would work for himself, too.

Since this ability had gotten around in the Trainers' world, many people would find him, pay him upfront, and ask for him to help with whatever they needed. And that was fine for Kaiden, as long as he got paid. The biggest problem was that this was more of a seasonal job. The spring was when new Trainers were allowed to get their first Pokémon. So that was when he got jobs from new Trainers. Older Trainers seemed to challenge the Elite Four all year, but summer the busiest. So that was when he got the most jobs. But now that it was autumn, all the new Trainers had already gone through the city, and Kaiden saw an Elite Four challenge around once every few days. And it was winter that scared him the most. In winter, Kaiden was lucky to see a Trainer every couple of weeks. Although to him, the best part of the job was to meet all kinds of different Trainers seeking the Indigo Plateau, because that's how he thought he came to be an orphan. 

The story he told himself, was that his parents were expert Pokémon Trainers, and while traveling through Viridian City, they lost him. So when he met a new Trainer, in the back of his mind, he was always wishing that it was one of his parents, even though the front of his mind was reminding him of reality. If his parents really did lose him on their way to the Elite Four, what were the chances that they would challenge them again? And on top of that, what were the chances that his parents would come looking for him after all these long years, and not sooner? He didn't even have any proof that this was the case, and his earliest memory was even of being alone in Viridian Forest. On top of that, he couldn't remember a single time when he wasn't stealing or working, just to survive. 

But right now, he had more important things to worry about. The reality of the situation was that it was autumn, which meant that he would have to start stealing again soon. He often stole from restaurants, like the one he had been kicked out of, and just now, he had thought it would be nice if he used some money he had made to actually buy himself a dinner. And since he wasn't in the mood to go searching for another job, and he didn't really feel up to stealing right now, it was looking like he was going to go hungry tonight. So with a stomach that yelled at him the entire way, he sloshed through the mud back to the cave he had found for himself in the Viridian Forest. As he made his way home, he found himself recounting all of the different techniques he had taught himself in order to live in the forest. He remembered that you couldn't leave anything lying around, or it would most likely get eaten by Caterpie and Weedle. He remembered how you had to respect your distance to certain trees, as they belonged to Beedrill, and how to tell if Beedrill occupied a tree, by checking for broken pieces of Kakuna shells lying around. He remembered that if a Beedrill got angry by your presence, it was best to just turn around and walk calmly away. Running away would anger it, and continuing to walk forward would threaten it. He distinctly remembered how if you spread the juice from a certain berry around the entrance to a cave, wild Pokémon were a lot less likely to go in. He had to remind himself to get some more in the morning, because right now, all he wanted to do was sleep and forget about his hungry stomach. 

The moment Kaiden stepped in his cave, his sleeve caught on fire. Jumping back outside, he grabbed mud and smeared it on his arm, killing the fire. This time, he saw that there was a glow towards the back of the cave. Going back in carefully, Kaiden was surprised to find an orange lizard-like creature with the tip of its tail on fire curled up on the ground. He took another step, and the wild Charmander shot an Ember at him. The attack was weaker than he thought it was going to be, though; all he had to do was jump out of the way. But it still made him mad. And that, coupled with the fact that he was cold, hungry and miserable, meant that he wasn't thinking too rationally.

"Alright, this is my cave. I've been living here for eight years now, and I want you out of it!" With that, the Charmander growled, stood up, and bit Kaiden on his upper right arm. Frantic to get it off, Kaiden repeatedly punched the Charmander in its snout. Angered by this, the fire Pokémon rose up fire in its mouth and burned Kaiden's arm. The pain that shot through his body was so bad, that it gave Kaiden enough adrenaline to rip his arm out of the Charmander's mouth. Woozy from pain and the crash that filled the void left by the now gone adrenaline, Kaiden had just enough time to notice that the Charmander's tail-fire was almost out, before he collapsed and lost consciousness. 

Kaiden was falling. He felt flames all around him. It was a horrible feeling. He tried to fight, tried to stop falling, but he was powerless. Just when he was about to give up hope, he saw two hands reach down towards him. When he looked up, he saw his parents. He didn't know how he knew they were his parents, he just knew. He felt so relieved to be out of the fire, and so happy to have his parents back, that it was even more shocking and painful when his parents threw him out into the rain, laughing. 

Kaiden woke with a start. The first thing he noticed, was that the rain was coming down harder, and as the sky light up in a brilliant flash, the cave was filled with the sound of thunder. The second thing he noticed was the searing pain in his right arm. Ripping off his sleeve, he saw that he wasn't bleeding, but that was because the area where the Charmander had bit him was seared. That's when he remembered the Charmander. He stood up quickly, ready to fight again if necessary, but instead found that the Charmander was barely moving, its tail-fire now hardly a flicker. And even Kaiden knew that when a Charmander's tail-fire goes out, so does the Charmander's life. Plopping back down, Kaiden started to think clearly for the first time all night. This Charmander was about to die. But it also tried to kill Kaiden. Maybe it was only defending itself? It did give a warning shot, much like a Beedrill. And Kaiden had kept on walking forward, which is what you're not supposed to do. In any case, Kaiden just couldn't bring himself to sit back and let this Pokémon die. But how was he going to get it to a Center in all of this rain? 

It didn't take him too long to figure it out. The only thing he could use in the cave was his blanket that he used in the winter. And even if it was going to get burned by a Charmander's tail, if it was to save a life, he told himself he could always steal another one. After grabbing the blanket, he tried to pick up the Charmander, but it bit him again, this time very weakly. Deciding that he didn't have the time to reason with it, Kaiden slapped the Charmander on the head, which caused it to bite down harder. This time, Kaiden punched it in the snout again, which made the Pokémon whimper, but let go. Kaiden then hefted the Charmander on his back, positioned the blanket on top of them so that it would cover the rain, but not snuff out the Charmander's tail-fire, and set off out of the cave. 

Once in the rain, the Charmander immediately bit down on Kaiden's shoulder. The pain took over all feelings in his body for a moment, and he fell into the mud. Now, Kaiden was mad again. And his anger allowed him to push down the pain, get back up, and start running again. 

"Stupid lizard! I'm trying to save you!" But even if the Charmander could understand him, it wasn't listening. It was shivering, whimpering, and every time thunder would boom, it would bite down harder. One particularly loud thunder crash made the Charmander let go of Kaiden's shoulder, and begin shooting Ember in front of them. Kaiden had to jump to one side to dodge the attack as the wind brought it right back at them, but doing so made Kaiden fall down into the mud again, following which, the Charmander bit down on his shoulder and began whimpering again. 

After running for a couple more minutes, Kaiden began to feel dizzy and sick, and a quick glance to his knees told him why. It must have happened when he fell, but there were a few Weedle stingers sticking into him. The poison must have traveled through most of his body by now. But he wasn't about to lie down and quit now, he could see the entrance to Viridian City. He took a few more steps, but the dizziness soon turned into pain. Before too long, just about the only think Kaiden could feel in his legs was pain. And the only reason he was able to keep moving, was because there was another pain in his shoulder, egging him on. Once he reached the city gate, his vision began to blur. His memory became fuzzy, and he only remembered fragments. A puddle. A door. Pain in his face. A bright light. His back becoming lighter. And then, darkness overtook him for the second time that night. 

Kaiden reached out his hand, but his parents shut the door before he could make contact. Even through the loud crashing of thunder, and the pouring rain, he could still hear their laughter. Why were they laughing at him? He turned to walk away, to go back to his cave, but he was swallowed up by fire and was falling once again. This time, when he saw his parents, they weren't reaching out to save him, they were pointing and laughing. And the laughter was even more painful than the fire. 

This time, Kaiden woke up slowly and groggily. He felt like he had slept for an entire year. When he looked around, he saw that he was in a bed. And when his vision cleared, and he woke the rest of the way, he saw that he was in a Center. Throwing the blanket off of him, he saw red marks on his legs, but there was no more pain. He jumped out of his bed to test his legs out more, but the land jarred his arm, and he cringed in pain. His legs were fine, but it was going to take a while for his arm to heal completely. But right now, the important thing was getting out of there. There was no way he could pay for a Center bill, and there was no way he was getting sent to the Saffron City Orphanage. 

Kaiden opened the door to his room, peaked around the corner to see if anyone was watching, and found himself standing right in front of the head of the Center, Viridian City's own, Nurse Dianna Joy. 

"H-h-hello there, Nurse Joy…" Kaiden could barely get the words out. As a nurse, Dianna was very kind and loving. But as a person, she was a scary woman that many people respected.

"Well good morning, son. Now that you're awake, I can get some information on you. First off, what's your name?" Joy took out a pen and held her clipboard ready, but Kaiden was reluctant to say anything that could get him sent to the Orphanage. So he changed the subject to the first thing that came to mind.

"What happened to the Charmander that was with me?" 

Joy was obviously a bit angered by the lack of response from Kaiden, but she sighed and put her pen away. "Charmander?"

Kaiden's demeanor suddenly turned serious. He hadn't yet accepted the fact that he was actually rushing out of his bed to check on the fire Pokémon. But Joy didn't seem to know what he was talking about. Did the Charmander die last night? "The one I had on my back!" Now he was getting frantic. His head swiveled from side to side, looking for where the Pokémon wing was, and started running off in one direction. "I have to make sure it's okay!" 

Joy grabbed Kaiden by the shoulder and turned him around. She could tell that Kaiden was sweating. "If you mean the Charmander whose tail-fire almost went out last night, then follow me."

Kaiden felt a huge amount of weight life off of him. She said almost. She said that the Charmander's tail-fire almost went out last night. That meant that it was still alive! Following closely behind Joy, Kaiden soon found himself in a room filled to the brim with injured and recovering Pokémon. "He's the one on the end."

'He'? Kaiden was in such a hurry last night that he guessed that he hadn't even thought of checking the Charmander's gender. When he got to the end, he found that the Charmander was sleeping. Letting out a sigh, Kaiden turned around to thank Joy. But when he opened his mouth, the Charmander woke up and jumped on Kaiden's back. Falling to the floor, Kaiden and the Charmander wrestled with each other. To Kaiden's surprise, the Charmander didn't bite him this time. Joy quickly came over and separated the boy and the Pokémon. 

"Now listen, both of you; this is a Center. This is no place to be fighting. And besides, neither of you should be doing any fighting at all, you still need to recover."

But Kaiden shrugged Joy off and starred angrily at the Charmander. "I feel just fine. It's him I'm worried about. Why, his tail-fire hasn't fully come back yet." And, as if to make Kaiden eat his words, the Charmander's tail-fire suddenly burst to life, much bigger than any tail-fire Joy had ever seen on a Charmander. 

"Oh my. It seems you two have been made for each other." Kaiden turned to look at Joy like she was crazy, but she explained. "You see, a Charmander doesn't gain its pride until it evolves into a Charmeleon. So for it to want to prove itself to you right now, it must really respect you."

Kaiden couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Prove himself? But we just met last night!" 

Joy bent down to Kaiden's level, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Look, Kaiden-" She knew his name! He stepped back, partly because of shock and partly because his shoulder was still sore from the Charmander biting it, but Joy smiled. "Don't give me that look. I've known who you are for a while now. Come with me." Joy then stood up, and walked out the door. Kaiden was reluctant to follow, but figured if she knew who he was, then she could send him to the Orphanage if she wanted to. 

When Kaiden caught up with Joy, and with the Charmander following him closely, he saw that they were heading towards her office. Once they were inside, Joy shut the door, sat at her desk, and pulled out an envelope. The name on the envelope was "Kaiden". "Like I said," Joy started, "I've known you for a while. And when I saw that you always hid when people from the Saffron City Orphanage came to town, I started this." Opening the envelope, Kaiden saw a letter, and more importantly, a nice hefty pile of money. "This is all yours."

"W-what?"

"I've been saving this for when you were old enough, but I'll give it to you now." 

Suddenly, Kaiden felt anger well up inside of him. "You've been watching me?! And you've been doing long enough to collect this much money?! And you never thought of helping me?!" Joy sat silently as Kaiden yelled at her. The Charmander crouched down a little bit, as if it was scared. "You saw that I was suffering! That I had to steal to survive! So why now, of all times?! Answer me, Joy! Why haven't you helped me?!" 

When he was finally done, Joy's face became sad. "Because, if I had tried giving you my help, you wouldn't have accepted it." Kaiden stopped. She was right, and he knew it. But it wasn't the fact that she was right that got to him; it was the way which she said it. And he felt a tear run down his cheek. "Oh, honey." Joy walked over to Kaiden and embraced him. He fought back at first, but he had been hugged before, and it felt too good to make her stop. And soon, the tears flowed like the rain from the night before. "It's okay. You don't have to cry. It's alright." Those words were the same words that Kaiden had heard in his dreams over and over again, and it only made the tears fall down harder. After half an hour of sobbing, Joy comforting him, and the Charmander whimpering quietly, Kaiden finally settled down. "Now, here's your money. It's yours, so take it. And if you try to give it back, I'll kill you." Kaiden wasn't sure how to react. "Also, take this letter to Pallet town, and give to Professor Daisy Oak. She'll give you your Trainer ID card, and register you. But before you do that, take some of this money and go buy yourself to properly catch your Charmander." It was all happening so fast that Kaiden had trouble catching his bearings. 

"But what if I don't want to become a Trainer?"

"Well I don't give a damn, because I've already decided for you." And with that, Kaiden was given the envelope with his name on it, and he and his Charmander were shoved out of Joy's office. "And don't you dare come back, or I really will send you to the Orphanage! And that's a promise!"

Still in a haze, Kaiden slowly walked out of the Center and sat down on an outside bench. It was a little much to take in. But his Charmander standing by his side brought him down to reality. Now he had a reason to move forward in life, instead of sitting around moping. Well, two reasons, if you counted Joy's Orphanage threat. Getting up, Kaiden decided he was going to make it so he couldn't go back, that he had to follow Joy's orders. He went to the Market across the road and bought ten Pokéballs, and was surprised when he got eleven. The clerk explained to him that with any purchase on ten Pokéballs, the customer received one free Premierball. The Premierball was different than the other Pokéballs. While the average Pokéball was red on top and white on bottom with a black line separating the two halves, a Premierball was white on bottom and on top, with a red line separating the two halves. He wasn't sure if there was any other difference between the two kinds of balls, but he liked the Premierball better. And when he walked outside with his Charmander, the Premierball in his hand, his mind started wandering. 

For the past few months now, Kaiden, the walking lucky charm, was wondering when his luck was going to start affecting him as well as the Trainers he helped. But as it turned out, for Kaiden, it wasn't he who gave himself luck, it was this Charmander. This wild Charmander had shown up at his cave and had brought a world's worth of luck with him. Thinking like this brought to mind something a costumer had once called him. But he had trouble fully remembering what it was, because it was one of those things people say that never make sense to him. 

Without warning, Kaiden threw the Premierball at his Charmander, and watched as the ball opened up, enveloped his Charmander in a red light, and then suck him up. The ball bounced on the ground a few times, and the red light on the ball faded to white. Trying to remember what it was that his old customer had called him, he looked down at the grass, and then smiled. Kaiden picked up the Premierball, brought it so it was eye level with him. His heart began to speed up with thoughts of the future. "Seems like I found my lucky four leaf 'Clover'".


End file.
